LLM Legal English Programs 2014

Boston University School of Law

LEGAL ENGLISH PROGRAMS

Boston University School of Law

Leading programs that develop invaluable skills.

For studies. For practice. For success.

The law is language. Being able to communicate clearly, precisely, and persuasively is a requirement for career advancement anywhere. For global lawyers, this means mastering English—legal English, in particular. Few schools teach legal English communications skills as well as BU Law. We have helped hundreds of global lawyers succeed in their LL.M. studies and advance their careers by training them to communicate more effectively in English. Whether you need to improve your English skills before starting full-time LL.M. studies, or simply seek to enhance your day-to-day effectiveness on the global stage, BU Law’s Legal English programs are your starting point for success.

School of Law

IS IT FOR YOU? Our programs are mainly designed for lawyers who lack only one key qualification to enter a BU Law LL.M. program: sufficient English proficiency to meet the academic demands of full-time graduate studies.

These candidates are otherwise well-suited for studies. They hold impressive academic and professional credentials and are highly motivated to propel their careers by obtaining an LL.M. degree.

legal English. Developed and taught by the regular teaching faculties of BU Law and BU’s Center for English Language & Orientation Programs (CELOP), LECP also exposes you to US legal discourse, culture, terminology, and the foundational aspects of US law. After completing the LECP, you will study in our Pre-LL.M. Summer Legal English Program, and then in the fall join the LL.M. program into which you’ve been admitted.

As a Two-Year LL.M. Program student, you will take: Fall Semester Legal English I cademic Skills for Successful Graduate A Studies Introduction to US Legal Culture Spring Semester Legal English II Legal Writing Persuasive Advocacy Topics in American Law Academic Skills for US Law Studies

LEGAL ENGLISH CERTIFICATE/ TWO-YEAR LL.M. PROGRAM For many lawyers, BU Law’s Two-Year LL.M. Program is an ideal option. The Two-Year Program begins with BU Law’s Legal English Certificate Program (LECP), a 25-credit, full-time, two-semester residential program of intensive instruction in English communication and

Summer Semester peaking and Listening for Legal English S Students* ix-Week Pre-LL.M. Summer Legal English S Program for LL.M. Students *If required, based on student assessments Subsequent Fall/Spring Semesters Full-Time LL.M. Studies

THE LEGAL ENGLISH CERTIFICATE PROGRAM: STAND-ALONE, CERTIFICATE-ONLY OPTION Internationally trained professionals who work in legal services often need to communicate in English, using legal terminology.

This includes lawyers as well as those without formal legal training. If you don’t plan to pursue LL.M. studies, you may still take BU Law’s Legal English Certificate Program (LECP) as a stand-alone option. The twosemester LECP curriculum is similar to that of the Two-Year LL.M. Program, except that an Independent Study course replaces Academic Skills for US Law Studies. (Certificate-only students do not take the Pre-LL.M. Summer Legal English Program.)

EXTENDED LL.M. PROGRAM OPTION If you want to begin your LL.M. studies in an upcoming semester but are not yet ready for full-time law studies, you can pursue a BU Law LL.M. program over three semesters through our Extended LL.M. Program option.

This is a great choice for students looking for a “softer” start to LL.M. studies. You’ll begin your studies with the Pre-LL.M. Summer Legal English Program at CELOP. In the fall, you’ll combine an intensive English language class at CELOP with two Law School classes.

You’ll take a full-time course load at BU Law in the spring and then complete the LL.M. degree the following fall.

THE BU LAW COMMUNITY Whether you are a student in BU Law’s TwoYear LL.M. Program, LECP, or Extended LL.M. Program, you’ll be a true member of BU Law’s community, invited to participate in myriad LL.M. and Law School activities throughout the year, including Red Sox games, pub nights, guest speaker events, international career panels, and networking events.

CELOP’S LEGAL ENGLISH PROGRAMS CELOP offers a six-week Pre-LL.M. Summer Legal English Program designed to prepare students for US LL.M. studies, at BU Law or elsewhere. Over the years, hundreds of entering BU Law LL.M. students have profited from this advanced preparation: the background they receive on American law and early exposure to the ways of US law studies help bridge the gap between their prior training and upcoming programs. For admission, you’ll only need a letter of acceptance to a US LL.M. program for the fall semester. (BU Law students admitted to the Two-Year LL.M. Program are required to attend the Pre-LL.M. Program.)

For foreign-trained lawyers who don’t plan to pursue LL.M. studies but seek short-term, legal English training, CELOP also offers a four-week summer Legal English for Practitioners Program.

SUMMER LEGAL INSTITUTE IN LONDON Each summer at Boston University’s campus in South Kensington, London, foreign-trained lawyers and advanced students receive ­intensive instruction in international business law and cross-border transactional topics through BU’s Summer Legal Institute in London (SLI). Most recently, the threeweek program has focused on Transnational Legal Practice: Drafting and Negotiating International Commercial Agreements. At the Institute, the teaching is practical, hands-on, and designed to impart skills that lawyers can use immediately upon returning to work.

In small class settings, you’ll also have an opportunity to build and refine the essential English communications skills needed for cross-­border work. Tuition includes housing in South Kensington, one of London’s most desirable neighborhoods.

combines the world’s leading Legal English course book with an online course. Law firms, universities, language schools, individual lawyers, and law students all over the world use the course materials, including potential LL.M. candidates.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS

In light of the range of high-quality legal English training options available at BU Law, we often contact LL.M. candidates who are inadmissible to a two-semester LL.M. program due to their English skills, suggesting that they consider the Two-Semester LL.M. Program or Extended LL.M. (three semesters) Program option. We do this with confidence that the training we provide can open the doors to an LL.M. degree for otherwise qualified and motivated students. So we encourage you to apply to our LL.M. programs, even if you know your English needs to improve.

You can learn more about the Two-Year LL.M. Program, LECP, and our Extended LL.M. Program option—including detailed information on candidate qualifications, the application process, tuition, and financial information—at www.bu.edu/law. You can also contact us directly at: Boston University School of Law Graduate & International Programs Office 765 Commonwealth Avenue Sumner Redstone Building, 5th Floor Boston, MA 02215 Telephone: +1.617.353.5323 Fax: +1.617.358.2720 Email: bullm@bu.edu www.bu.edu/law For more information on the Summer Legal Institute in London, contact sli@bu.edu.

For more information on CELOP’s programs, contact celop@bu.edu.

For more information on PLEAD, visit ­TransLegal’s website at www.translegal.com/ plead.

PROGRAM FOR LEGAL ENGLISH ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT (PLEAD) Boston University, Cambridge University Press in the UK, and TransLegal, the world’s leading provider of legal English services, have developed an innovative program of legal English studies called the Program for Legal English Academic Development (PLEAD). PLEAD is a high-quality legal English course that 0814

Boston University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.

“

Completing my LL.M. over three semesters helped me make the most of my BU Law experience. I developed my legal English skills and gained early exposure to the Socratic method. As my English improved, I was able to communicate more effectively inside and outside of class. I highly recommend the threesemester option as a great way to begin the LL.M. —Sezi Demircark

”

Attorney (Corporate & M&A) at DLA Piper in Turkey LL.M. in American Law, 2013 LL.M., Galatasaray University School of Law, 2011 LL.B., Marmara University Law Faculty, 2009